Chemistry notes on radioactivity and carbon dating/decay
Chemical changes: breaking bonds between atoms + rearranging into new compounds. Nuclear Changes: changes in p&n within a nucleus, not between atoms. Half life= time it takes for ? of parent nuclides in radioactive sample to decay. Ex. Element has ? life of 5 seconds left in 1 minutes. So divide 60 sec by 5 sec. = 12. Nuclide: name given to nucleus of a specific isotope that is decaying. Ex. U-238 and U-239. Radiation. Chain rxn: nuclear rxn that becomes self propagating. Critical Mass: minimum amount of original mass undergoing fission to sustain a chain rxn. Nuclear Waste: low level- buried in barrels in the ground (lab wastes, industry) High level- stored in concrete bunkers in ground (spent fuel rods)